Vehicle wheel blocks



Aug..29, 1967 v. w. LINDEEN VEHICLE WHEELBLOCKS Filed Oct. 22, 1965INVENTOR VICTOR VV. LINDEEN ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,338,338VEHICLE WHEEL BLOCKS Victor W. Lindeen, 970 W. 7th Ave., Eugene, Oreg.97402 Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,270 1 Claim. (Cl. 188-32) Thisinvention relates to new and useful improvements in wheel blocksutilized to hold a vehicle in a stationary position.

The present invention is particularly useful for holding vehicles suchas camp trailers, mobile homes, or any other type of wheeled vehicles ina stationary position when they are parked. To explain further, it iscustomary when parking a trailer, for example, to place blocks on bothsides of at least some of the wheels to prevent it from rolling ineither direction. Some trailers are provided with tandem wheels on eachside thereof and some are provided with single wheels on each side. Inany case, it is generally desirable that blocks be placed on oppositesides of one or more of the wheels to assure a stationary parkedposition of the vehicle.

It is accordingly a primary objective of the present invention toprovide a vehicle wheel block structure having a novel construction andarrangement of parts for the engagement of one or more wheels to preventthe vehicle from rolling in either direction.

Another object is to provide a vehicle wheel block structure which bysimple alteration may be used on a single wheel or on tandem wheels.

Still another object is to provide a vehicle wheel block structure whichis simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture.

Briefly stated, the invention comprises a pair of peaked wheel engagingblocks one or both of which is slidably connected to an elongated rod.Connected between the peaked portions and mounted on the rod is a springwhich urges the blocks into wheel engaging positions. The springcomprises a tension spring or a compression spring depending upon thevehicle wheel arrangement with which the device is to be used.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects willbecome apparent from the following specification and claims consideredtogether with the accompanying drawings, wherein the numerals ofreference indicate like parts.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the present vehicle wheel blockstructure and its engagement with tandem wheels;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure; and

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the structure in engagement witha single wheel.

Referring now in particular to the drawings, the present inventioncomprises a pair of wheel engaging blocks having a horizontal baseportion 12 and an upstanding, triangular wheel engaging portion 14. Thetriangular portion 14 is integrated with the base portion and preferablyform with the base portion an isosceles triangle wherein both portions14 extend at the same angle from the base. The blocks 10 are open attheir ends and have a channel-shaped bracket 16 secured integrally tothe upper surface of the base portion 12 in any suitable manner. Asapparent in FIGURE 2, one end of each of the brackets 16 projects beyondthe side of its respective base direction. Where the vehicle has asingle wheel on each 3,338,338 Patented Aug. 29, 1967 and suchprojecting ends slidably receive an elongated rod 18. Brackets 16 havesuitable apertures 20 for slidably receiving the rod 18.

By means of the slidable connection of the blocks 10 with the rod 18,said blocks may be moved toward and away from each other on the rod forthe purpose of spacing them selectively for engaging opposite wheelsurfaces. It is clear that one of the blocks 10 may be secured innon-slidable relation at one end of the rod and the other may beslidable on the rod to accomplish the desired spacing of the blocks.

With reference to FIGURE 1, the present invention is shown in anoperative position between a pair of tandem wheels W. In such tandemwheel arrangement the blocks are moved together sulficiently forinserting them between two adjacent wheels whereby opposed wheelsurfaces are blocked and the vehicle cannot move in either side thereofthe blocks are merely placed on opposite sides of one of the wheels W asshown in FIGURE 3.

It is desired that the blocks be held in engagement with the wheels bysuitable spring means. With reference to the structure of FIGURE 1wherein the device is utilized with tandem wheels, a compression spring22 is utilized to urge the blocks apart. The spring 22 comprises ahelical-type spring and is carried on the rod 18 to bear against opposedsides of the brackets 16 whereby to urge the blocks 10 apart. In the useof the device on a single wheel, a helical tension spring 24 is carriedon the rod 18 and urges the blocks 10 together for engaging oppositesides of a single wheel. For this purpose, the ends 26 of the spring 24are secured to the brackets 16 in any manner such as by hookedengagement in suitable apertures in the brackets.

Thus, the present invention comprises an extremely simplified wheelblock structure which is inexpensive to manufacture and light in weight.Furthermore, by utilizing a selective type of spring operative on theblock portions 10 the device may be used with tandem wheels or a singlewheel respectively. In this latter regard, the arrangement may be suchthat the rod 18 may be slidably disengaged from at least one of thebrackets 16, whereby the desired type of spring may be installedthereon. Thus, in retailing the product, the merchant may install thesuitable spring as the need requires. The bracket would of course havemeans such as suitable apertures, to connect the ends of the tensionspring thereto.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or thescope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A device for blocking wheels of a vehicle for holding the vehicle in astationary position, comprising a pair of block members, said blockmembers having a base portion and an upstanding portion on each blockmember integrated with respective ones of said base portions, saidupstanding portions each having a pair of opposed inclined wheelengaging faces, brackets integrated with each of said base portions andprojecting beyond the sides thereof, rod means extending through theprojecting ends of said brackets, said rod means being slidably engagedwith at least one of said brackets for allowing varied spacing of saidblock members with relation to each other, spring means surrounding saidrod means and arranged to urge the wheel engaging faces of said blockmembers into Wheel edge surfaces, and means on opposite ends of saidspring means arranged to connect said spring means to said brackets,said rod means being detachable from at least one of said brackets andarranged upon detachment therefrom to receive either a compressionspring or a tension spring as said spring means depending upon Whetherthe block members are to be urged apart for engagement with opposedWheel edge surfaces of a pair of tandem wheels or to be urged togetherfor engagement with opposite edge surfaces of a single wheel, saidspring means When consisting of a compression spring ets and whenconsisting of a tension spring being connected by its opposite ends tosaid brackets.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Examiner.

being abutted at opposite ends thereof against said brack- 15 B. S.MOWRY, Assistant Examiner.

